I GET IT NOW! Those seat warmers (or bun warmers as my mom calls them) are pretty nifty on a cold day…and Lisa was right….they are nice when you have a sore back!!!

Its amazing how I didn’t realize how noisy the Rav was in the cabin until I got the HHR which is very quiet in the cabin.

I wish it was sunny and warm so I could play with the sunroof more.

I have fallen hard over the XM radio…I will probably keep this if I can at all swing it. I already have favorite stations (XM41, XM40, XM16, XM8 and one of the Christmas channels are already in my stereo presets). It really puts the radio stations in my area to shame. I may never listen to FM again! In my area the country station comes in fuzzy, there is no modern rock station, the best thing I can get is classic rock…which is ok…but I would much rather listen to the Boneyard! Plus we get a bunch of the XM channels on our TV through our DirecTv…so I can listen at home if I want.

Onstar rocks…I just wish the phone minutes were cheaper (Especially since my cell phone died on me).

Traction Control…cool…but what is it and how does it work? And should I drive with it on all the time?? Anyone know?

After professing my love of the Chevy Nomad in the last bulleted list…I am wondering if that wasn’t one of the reasons I was drawn to the Chevy HHR? They are both cool looking wagonesque cars. (Although don’t think when I was wandering around the Chevy showroom while waiting for the financing to go through on the HHR that I wasn’t drooling all over the twin Corvettes on the showroom floor. They even had my favorite color (bright HELLO WORLD I AM YELLOW).

And the last thought I have for now was actually something I think either BFM or my brother brought up….how funny is it that I went from driving a Toyota to driving a Chevy when my favorite driver (Tony Stewart) is going from driving a Chevy to driving a Toyota! Hopefully Tony will have as good of luck with his Toyota as I had with mine! Doris (my Rav4) was rode hard. She was very high mileage when I traded her in. She had 64K on her at the end of the 2 year mark in ownership! She was very dependable (until recently) and the only thing I really ever had to fix on her was a cracked water pump that was found while having my belts replaced (routine replacement).

Well for those worried…a tree was fetched and decorated this weekend. So we now have a tree….and it is a nice tree (purchased at Home Depot…we go there every year for a tree). We ended up just getting new lights for the tree this year…and they are only green red and blue. I thought that would be depressing…but it actually looks quite good.

I am still kinda grumpy…despite the recently gained tree.

I still have to do about half of my Christmas shopping….and I am normally one of those people who is done before thanksgiving…

Why I am putting it off? I have no idea…I guess that is because I am grumpy and not in the mood to deal with people.

Speaking about dealing with people… Its totally a monday at work. I have been having a ton of calls transferred to me by a specific department for things that I can’t do. I called them and told them this. Then I called my manager because it kept happening. I mean the callers are getting frustrated being ping-ponged around and I don’t blame them…but I can’t help them either…because I don’t have the access to the system they need help with…I was getting irritated…and told off by a couple callers. Urg. Merry Christmas to you too buddy.

Oh and speaking of…getting told off…I know there is a certain white Lexus driver out there who needs to be told off for not letting me merge into traffic…jerk.

Looks like Kasey Kahne is getting sued. Nice topper to a less then desirable season for Kasey Kahne. Hopefully next season will go better for him.

I saw Tony Stewart on TV (Speed to be exact) briefly at the Barrett Jackson auction on Life on The Block. I have been fascinated by Barrett Jackson since I saw it the first time on tv…oh probably about two years ago or so…such beautiful cars…makes me wish I could afford to own a cherry split-window vette…..(sigh). I have always had a thing for ‘vettes. Vettes and Nomads….(sighs)

Ok…who am I kidding…I have nothing else. I will, however, try to be much more cheerful tomorrow…when it isn’t Monday.

1. Away in a manger, no room for a bed.
2. Dashing through the snow, in a brand new chevy HHR (although hopefully not through snow really because it doesn’t snow here!).
3. Hark! The herald angels sing.
4. It’s coming on christmas morn.
5. When I was small I believed in Santa Claus, Though I knew it was LIE.
6. That Christmas magic’s brought this tale to life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to getting some errands done, tomorrow my plans include finding my damn christmas spirit and Sunday, I want to get a tree!

G says: Since we are in the full swing of the holiday season (yes, it’s almost time to start panicking if you haven’t started yet) I thought I would base my questions on traditions. But I’m also doing things a wee bit different. Instead of just five questions, I’m offering 25. You can do this anyway you’d like. If you have the time, it would be great to see all 25 questions answered. But if you’re seriously pressed for time, just pick five you would like to answer. And again, based on your time constraints, try to limit the one-word responses. For me, these Friday 5 questions offer an opportunity to get to know a little bit about you. Anyway, I’ll stop for now. Just do want you can do.

Do you usually use wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper…I LOVE to wrap presents.

Is your tree a real tree or is it artificial? Real…although I am going to admit we don’t have one yet.

If you do put a tree up, when do you usually do this? Usually weekend after Thanksgiving…

When do you take your tree down? Any specific reason for this – tradition etc? As soon as Christmas is over- sometimes as early as late on Christmas Day. Its just always been that way.

What about eggnog? Do you like it? Any special ingredients added? Don’t like it…bleck.

Do you have a nativity scene? A menorah? A nativity scene

What was a special (or favorite) gift you received as a child? I can think of two…the first one would be my favorite Bike when I was a kid….it was orange and yellow and I LOVED that Bike. The other was after my maternal grandparents moved from here to Alabama…they went to Talladega (on purpose just for me) and bought me a video of Richard Petty and a bunch of souvenirs. It was really cool that they went through that trouble.

Who is your hardest person to buy for? Why? My brother…because I always want to get people the perfect gift and I have trouble decided what he would like the most :/

Who is your easiest person to buy for? That would be a tie between my mom and BFM

What was the worst Christmas present you ever received? A sweater vest.

What is your favorite holiday movie? The Grinch, Home Alone (only the first one),

When do you start your holiday shopping? I usually start around September or so and I am usually very done by now with my presents wrapped and under the tree…this year…I am about half done and nothing is wrapped…because there is no tree to put them under yet.

Have you ever recycled a present? Yes isn’t that the purpose of white elephant gift exchanges?

What is your favorite thing to eat during the holidays? Anything Sweet Potato

Here are the rules for this tag:
1. Mention the person who tagged you (that would be HipMomma) and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

My birthday is in January and I have bold the traits that fit me.

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

Who am I tagging?? Anyone…if you do it let me know…so I can read yours

1. Have you ever started disliking a driver because of one of their obnoxious fans? Actually no because I don’t have much experience with other fans in person. I mean my parents are fans…and I recently turned my friend into a fan but none of them are obnoxious…of course ask me this after I attend the race in March. I will probably have a completely different opinion.

2. What do you hate most about NASCAR fans? So far nothing (see above)

3. What do you like most about NASCAR fans? The ones that I have come to know through my blog are all really cool!!!

4. When did you first realize that you were a fan? I have been a NASCAR fan since I was probably about 8 or so…I would watch races with my dad…but I started out as a cart/champ/irl fan first. My earliest memories of watching a “race” was watching the Indy 500 on tv with my dad…and in my house it was treated like most household treat the superbowl. I recently read an letter, I think it was in Nascar Scene but I don’t remember to be honest, that said a “real” NASCAR fan is one who actually goes to races. That kinda pissed me off because some of us fans might not have the means to go to a track…seeing as how I live in CA…and the closest track is well over 2 hours away (Infineon)….and while I like watching road courses on TV to be honest…they can suck in person (I have watched many a race at Laguna Seca…and most of it is watching the screen if they have one set up). I am excited to be going to the Vegas race this year….(thanks to BFM I won’t even need a hotel).

I am being teased and I want it to stop. First it was Trader Joes that teased me. They had these luscious dried fuji apple slices in the dried food section along with dried orange flavored cranberries. I fell in love with them both. I drive miles out of my way just to go to Trader Joes so I can grab me up so apples and cranberries. And then they stop carrying them just like that. I want me some fuji apples and they aren’t at either of the Trader Joes in the area.

Next my new car has been teasing me. How? Let’s back up…to the day one week ago when I bought a new Chevy HHR LS. Well that model I bought happened to come with an XM ready radio…including three months of XM service. I was SURE that I wouldn’t want XM radio…but then I thought…might as well see what all the hubbub is about…and I programmed in some rock and country stations to see what it was like. OMG! I am sooo in love with XM radio. So my car is teasing me because as much as I love it…I don’t know that I love it enough to subscribe to it. I was telling BFM this the other day over the phone and her response is: “Quit being a cheap bastard and subscribe!”